KSU’s women’s basketball team will begin their 2012- 2013 season on the road against Middle Tennessee State on Friday, Nov. 9.
Behind the leadership of first year head coach Nitra Perry, the Owls will hope to improve upon their season after finishing with a 14-17 record a year ago.
Perry served as an associate head coach at the University of Toledo prior to arriving at KSU. She became one of the most sought after assistant coaches in the country after amassing a 96-40 overall record and a 50-14 mark in the Mid-American Conference in four years at Toledo. Last season, Perry helped lead her team to a school-record 29 victories and a WNIT Postseason Tournament Championship.
Perry will look to restore intensity to the team after the retirement of long-time head coach Colby Tilley after last season.
“We definitely want to get out there push the ball,” Perry said. “We want to run an up- tempo game while continuing to defend well. We have a great group of kids that can switch and get out there and guard on the post and the perimeter.”
Last season, the Owls averaged 62 points a game. One of the many goals set by Perry was to increase that average to 70 points.
“Our team needs to put a lot of pressure on people but we also have to find a way to score more points.” Perry said. The Owls were able to do exactly that, posting a 79-75 victory over Southern Polytechnic State University in the first exhibition game of the season. It took extra minutes, but the continued effort by the Owls allowed Perry to secure her first win as a head coach.
“It feels great to get the first win,” said Perry. “We came out and fought really hard like I expected us to do. The game went back-and-forth in runs but overall I think it was a great game to prepare us. We played a really strong opponent and when it came down to it, we did what we needed to do.”
The Owls were fueled by their veteran squad and are returning an experienced roster, which includes four seniors, three juniors and three sophomores, who saw a great deal of playing time last season. Lisa Capellan, Ashley Holliday, Chelcey Farrar, and Sametria Gideon will return for their senior season and have a combined 12 years of basketball experience.
“We’ll absolutely be leaning on our veterans this season,” said Perry. “Those girls will be our core all year long. We don’t know exactly in what roles and at what capacity yet, but they’ve embrace everything we give them so far and they’ve embraced myself and my staff 100-percent.”
Holliday and Gideon return as two of the Owls top scorers from last season, averaging 11.1 and 9.3 points respectively. Holliday was productive from beyond the arc, finishing with 26 three- pointers, while Gideon led the team in rebounding with 247 rebounds total and an 8.2 rebounds per game average. She was also top in blocks with 37. Capellan dominated the paint last year for the Owls, bringing down 100 defensive boards while averaging six rebounds per game to go along with her 7.3 points per game. Farrar averaged 30.2 minutes per game and was also one of the squad’s top shooters with a .500 success rate and averaging 9.2 points per game.
Juniors Christine Wylie, Elaina Gray, and Chantel Kennedy will look to support their senior leaders and provide an improved presence on the court for coach Perry. Colorado State transfer Kennedy, who had 115 assists while scoring 134 points and earning 222 rebounds in her two years with CSU, will add important experience at the guard position for the Owls.
The Preseason All- Conference selection for the Owls, Kristina Wells, will lead a sophomore class that will play an extended role for the Owls. Wells started in 30 games in 2010-11, averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
“Wells is absolutely one of the hardest workers we have,” Perry said. “She surprises me every day with what she can do for our team. She’s a tremendous defender and a quick lefty that drives hard to the basket. She’s going to have a big year, we’re just looking to add a few more things to her game to bring her to that next level we know she’s capable of.”
Guards Bria Young and Nicole Adams return for KSU, both shooting over .300 from beyond the arc last season. Freshman newcomers Shadeily Guzman and Chelsea Mason will round out the team.
The Owls will play one of the toughest schedules in the A-Sun Conference. Their first road match against MTSU will come during the WNIT Preseason Tournament.
“The WNIT gets us to jump in the skillet pretty early,” Perry said. “It’s going to be tough but at the same time it’s a good measuring stick to see where we are. Right now it’s hard to say who’s going to play what role in our lineup, so getting in there and seeing who can do what against those high-caliber teams is going to help us grow up pretty quickly.”
The team’s home opener will come against Troy on Nov. 21. The Owls open conference play against the defending champions, Florida Gulf Coast, and this year’s predicted winner, Stetson, both at the KSU Convocation Center.
“I encourage our players to focus on us and not other’s opinions of us,” Perry said. “This year our motto is the same as the whole department in ‘we can we will.’ We’re going to go out there and compete and be the best we can be every day.”
